I don’t know if you’re like me but I kind of have a love-hate relationship with sewing magazines, blogs, and TV shows. I find them very inspiring and informative but they also discourage me. I see the amazing things that other people are doing and think, “There’s no way I could ever do that!” I thought it just today when the June issue of Sew Beautiful arrived and I saw all of the intricate heirloom sewing that I want to create for Baby Alice….while she is still a baby!
And then I got thinking. A year ago, if you had told me that I would be able to create patterns from scratch, I would have laughed so hard I would have cried. I was always so envious of other sewists who had some secret insight into manipulating patterns but I struggled just to make a full bust adjustment. And yet, here I am, a mere year later with the confidence to reproduce my favorite vintage patterns! And have it look good, too!
So, the next time I get in a funk and think, “I could never do that!” I’ll remind myself that I may not being able to do it then, but I can certainly learn how to do amazing things with fabric, too!
Watching those sewing programs on PBS can flat depress me. Yes, I’ve seen the one with all the examples of heirloom sewing and even subscribed to the newsletter for a while. Dr. J, if you want to do heirloom sewing for your little niece, more power to you, but I have realized that I don’t need that to find satisfaction in sewing. And sewing for children can be so simple and rewarding. My decision was to stick with simple and rewarding and quit burdening the process with difficult. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t like to make some pretty little dresses for my granddaughter, but she’s almost two and her style is already jeans and t-shirts. I rejoice with you that you are gaining skills and that you live where you can enroll in such studies.
Kathy, it is more like *her mother* wanted me to do heirloom sewing for her. And all of those things are adorable but I’m just going to have to scale it back just a bit. I like how you phrase it, “quit burdening the process with difficult.”
Quite frankly, I’m a bit burnt out on “difficult” right now.
When you’re a sewist, I think you have to consider what your subject wants, yes, but on the other hand, it’s your choice. So make some cute little outfits and embellish with lace. Keep it simple. Be refreshed. Enjoy! The day is coming when you’ll be called upon to use your new-found skills to create her first formal.
I can more than relate. In fact when you talked in one of your podcasts (that I downloaded for a road trip) (I am new) I said to myself…oh of course she can make a pattern, she has a doctorate degree! Well I cannot tell you how inspiring it was to see this! Thank you.